Slip of the Tongue
by namelessanomoly
Summary: Dawn runs away  not away as from Sunnydale just out of the crypt  after letting slip she's in love with Spike. He runs after her. Rated T for mentions of sex. Dawn is older here. Not cannon.


**Please forgive me for any tense or punctuation errors. It's one thing I could never get the hang of (and there is probably other mistakes in here as well) so I apologize in advance. Also Dawn is OOC but I am going to justify this as "tragedy changes people" therefore this character change is going to be shoved under the title of character development, which is a bit of a stretch but I really haven't watched enough episodes to know where to start. Also this will not follow the series at all from this point onwards (again I apologize but I really don't' know the series well enough to even attempt this and am currently helping out in a orphanage in Bali so have no access to much material that may help me). This is after Buffy has jumped off the tower and comes back to life. She and Spike dated for a while. Sorry for the hassle and hope you enjoy. Also Dawn is going to be sixteen, sorry if this is incorrect but it's a bit of a necessity for the story, also I can't remember when Giles leaves but as of now he has not. To any one who may have read my other story it will also be updated as soon as I know what the heck to do with it (I'm rather stuck).**

'Shit, shit, shit! I can't believe it slipped out like that. Well, Dawn you idiot, tell the vampire you're in love with him and then run away. Yeah, I'm sooooo screwed.' Dawn thought to herself as she bolted through the graveyard. "The last relationship he had was with your sister, where she dumped him and quite badly too and he's never shown any sign that's he's gotten over it, and I'm sure this is just what he needed to hear, Buffy's silly little sister thinks she's in love with him.'

Dawn yelped as she was rather unceremoniously tackled to the ground. Managing to squirm so that she was facing her opponent she was rather surprised, and mildly horrified, to find herself face to face with a seriously annoyed looking Spike. "Shit" Dawn said without thinking.

"Shit, doesn't even begin to cover it. What the bloody hell where you thinking Bit! Running off like that" yelled Spike at the stunned female under him. "I.. umm panicked" finished Dawn lamely.

"Yeah I bloody well worked that one out, now tell me what the hell you were thinking" continued the now furious Spike.

"None of your business" yelled Dawn as she struggled to release his hold on her. "I think it bloody well is my business" suddenly realizing their positions and where they were the irate vampire got off the wriggling Dawn and proceeded to drag the struggling girl back to his crypt.

Stomping heavily down the stairs Spike proceeded to toss the now over wrought girl onto the sofa. Turning to her he was surprised to discover she had started to cry. Panicking Spike tried to placate her, squatting down in front of her he started to wipe her tears away "Now, none of that Nibblet". Unfortunately this only caused Dawn to cry harder. "Bollocks, what is it now Bit?"

"N... n… nothing" Dawn shuddered as she tried to stop the flow of tears "It's just that your being really nice to me after I was such an annoyance to you and now your gonna try to turn me down and that means I probably completely ruined our friendship and… and you're my best friend…." Dawn trailed off down looking miserably at her feet desperately trying to make sure she didn't make eye contact with the kneeling vampire, whose face was marred with a frown.

"Bollocks you're still my best friend Nibblet but what's all this about being in love with me" questioned Spike uncertainly, hardly believing what he had heard before.

Mumbling Dawn explained, still rather determinedly looking at her feet, "I've had a crush on you since I was fifteen and after Buffy, well, umm…" "Dumped me" cut in Spike rather bluntly.

"Yes, that, I kinda didn't have the will power any more, or the excuses, to stop myself from falling in love with you. I only really realized how strongly I felt about you when you turned up for our Christmas party when I was sixteen, dripping wet and grinning, holding my present under your duster. I just kinda knew the moment you where standing there I had fallen for you."

"Bloody Hell Nibblet that was ages ago" Yelled Spike

"I know," replied Dawn miserably. "Why didn't you say anything before" questioned Spike, who had yet to move from squatting in front of her.

"Because I didn't want to lose you as my friend and," with a sigh Dawn continued "and I was afraid you were still in love with Buffy…

"Sod that, stupid bint dumped me good and proper. Killed that obsession," explained Spike with a dark laugh, cupping her face in his hands he lifted it so she had no choice but to look him in eye. "Three years huh," with a smile he continued "No wonder I couldn't get rid of you." Hurt quickly passed over Dawn's features and she started to try to leave again.

"Oh no, none of that, your staying right here." Stated Spike said with a determined look on his face, shoving Dawn back onto the couch. "Why" yelled Dawn "so you can laugh my feelings off as a joke, tell me I don't know what I'm saying or just treat me like a child like everyone else does. I mean even when I did have a boyfriend…" "What! What boyfriend, why did I never know about this?!" exclaimed Spike pinning Dawn to the couch in his anger.

"Because" Dawn explained petulantly "I was trying to get over you and _mph" _with a growl Spike had lunged forward crushing Dawn lips to his. After as few seconds she couldn't help but return the kiss, tugging him closer by the lapels of his black duster. Spike eagerly leant forward; resting his knee in-between Dawns for balance.

Feeling his leg pressing into the apex of her thighs Dawn couldn't help but let a small moan escape. Pulling back from the kiss slightly Spike couldn't keep the arrogant smirk off his face. "Liked that did you" using his quick reflexes he promptly changed their positions so that panting Dawn was now straddling the smirking vamp. Dawn looked at him, confusion written all over her face.

"First off there will be no getting over Spike, especially with bloody a wanker you call" "Called" cut in Dawn. "Called a boyfriend" continued Spike slightly placated by this news "Secondly I love you too Nibblet, have for a while now, just didn't know if you felt the same way," "That never stopped you before with Buffy" accused Dawn, crossing her arms over her chest, which he couldn't help but notice had gotten significantly larger than when he had first met her.

"Now Bit, that was different, I was obsessed with her, not in love with her as I thought, so I was less worried about rejection. Also she wasn't my best friend, she didn't even like me" exclaimed Spike with a huff, "but you, Nibblet, you always liked me haven't you" Spike said stroking her hair.

Blushing Dawn looked down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs in embarrassment. "You really are still innocent aren't you" said Spike with a laugh. "Well, not _completely_" Dawn said sheepishly

"What do you mean 'not completely'," growled Spike. "Oh you know…" stalled Dawn. "No, I don't" Spike said anger lacing his words. "I might've let him kiss me, let his hands under my shirt…" Dawn trailed off looking at the very pissed off vampire, who was shaking in anger under her.

"What the hell were you thinking Nibblet!" roared Spike. Not to be intimidated Dawn replied, "I was thinking I needed to live my life, instead of waiting in the shadows for you. I didn't want to die completely untouched and unwanted. I also…" Dawn paused and pain flashed across her face, Spike frowned at this, momentarily distracted from his anger. " also I didn't want the only image, feeling, sound! I could remember about" she paused again "_sex_" she finally continued with an uncomfortable wriggle of her body "to be… the image of my sister being pounded into by the man I loved."

"Oh bloody hell luv, when did you, I mean... you saw... bollocks, when?" questioned Spike reaching out tot try and comfort her. Arms crossed protectively over her Dawn flinched at his touch "on my sixteenth birthday, nobody seemed to have remembered, so I went to find you to see if you had, hoping you had planned on turning up later. I walked in on you two then. It was horrible, I can remember running as far as I could for as long as I could before just collapsing where I was. Guess I was lucky nothing wanted a snack, huh." Ashamed and pained Spike tried to reach out to Dawn again with no luck. "Neither you remembered, guess you were too busy _fucking" _Dawn continued filling the word with as much hate and pain as she could, "each other to even think about me,"

Dawn said as she moved so she was standing away from Spike. "Giles and Angel were the only ones who even remembered my birthday last year. Angel who lives in L.A., whose only connection to me should have been ex-girlfriend's little sister. I mean the two of you didn't even notice when I was in L.A., my birthday treat from Angel, for a whole week, a _whole week_ Spike. Do you know how much that hurt, my supposed best friend and my own sister didn't even notice I had left because they were too busy shagging each other to notice me gone? I mean I didn't even seem to become your best friend again until after Buffy dumped you. It's always about fucking Buffy isn't it?!" Dawn yelled, tears now streaming down her face again.

Continuing dejectedly she said "I'm just a second thought people prefer to forget about." Finishing her pained filled rant, she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into her knees.

Rising from his seat Spike slowly made his way over to the distraught female. Kneeling down he wrapped his arms around the abandoned and hurting gir…woman, pulling her into his embrace. "I'm so so sorry Dawn, I never wanted to hurt you, or for you to see what you did. You never should have to feel like this, ever. But Dawn you mean the world to me now. I can't promise you I will never hurt you again, vampire luv, but I can promise to love you forever and coming from me forever is not just a possibility, come on little Bit give the Big Bad a smile. " Spike finished, flashing her his own smile.

Dawn looked up from where she had burrowed into his arm and gave him a watery shaky grin. " You okay Bit?" questioned the vamp "It still hurts but I just can't seem to stop loving you", responded Dawn looking decidedly uncomfortable with this revelation.

With a grin Spike replied, " Cause not Bit, irresistible I am," Dawn wacked his chest following this remark. With a playful laugh the blonde vamp scooped her up and deposited them both back on the couch, Dawn held securely in his arms.

Warmth filled Dawn's eyes as she finally realized that she had him, her Spike. Smiling she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, startling the vamp. Smiling happily Spike leaned down and covered his mouth his hers, relishing in the feel of her mouth on his. Pulling away Spike stated seriously, "You do realize I am going to kill your ex right."

"_Spike" _huffed Dawn in annoyance, glaring at him "You will do no such thing, after all it's really your fault anyway that I even agreed to go out with him in the first place. Angel wasn't to happy though" Dawn replied thoughtfully, settling back into him, "Threatened to come all the way here to make sure he could scare him into line. Luckily for him Giles did it for him" Dawn said scrunching her nose up in annoyance.

"Angel should have come down anyway to scare him good and proper. Nobody's good enough for my Nibblet, 'cept me of course," added Spike as an afterthought.

"Uh oh, _Spike_," Dawn whined, "Angel's going to flip when he finds out, damn, so is Buffy. Ohhhhhh we are soooo dead," complained Dawn determinedly snuggling deeper into Spike as he wrapped his arms around her. "We" reiterated Spike raising his eyebrows. "Fine" corrected Dawn with a pout "You are so dead, aw I don't want you dusty."

"Neither do I pet"

"Good thing I know a few tricks huh" smiled Dawn. "Tricks? What tricks would these be pet?" questioned Spike

"Well if the whole pouting, tearing up thing doesn't work, which it should on Angel, I kinda, might've, maybe got mystical power things from being the Key, which I haven't told anybody else about apart from Giles and Angel." Mumbled Dawn as fast as she could,

"Why the hell is Angel so well informed," groused Spike petulantly, "and what bloody powers are these pet". "One, because he listened to me," Dawn explained as though speaking to a five year old throwing a temper tantrum. "

"Still" muttered Spike refusing to give up. "And two" continued Dawn ignoring him "turns out being the Key, I get a few nifty powers."

"What powers are these bit?" "Shields, fire throwing, faster healing and reflexes, oh and super strength, and a few other things like that I'm still working out" Dawn finished smiling proudly at him. "Why didn't I know about this?'

"You were busy with Buffy, so I experimented with Giles's supervision and even tried a few of the moves out on Angel whenever there was a school holiday I could get away for." Spike looked guiltily at his lap till Dawn leaned forward and pecked him on the forehead. " It's okay I'll show you later.

"Still I can't believe Angel knows and I don't," Dawn looked up at the sulking vampire and smiled. "What?" Spike asked.

"Nothing" Dawn said chuckling slightly "It's just I didn't know that big bad vampires 1. Sulked and were so adorable when they did" finished Dawn smiling innocently at him.

"Hey you take that back, I'm evil and its best you don't forget it"

"Uh huh, evil and cute. Ohhh you're like a fangy teddy bear" Dawn said clapping her hands in glee. With a growl Spike pinned Dawn down on the couch, without thinking sliding into game face. "You could hurt a man's ego like that Bit," grinned Spike, showing his fangs.

Startled of the change in position Dawn was surprised to find herself pinned to the couch, noticing the change in Spike, instead of being scared Dawn reached up and lovingly traced the bumps on Spike's face. Spike was surprised that, not only was he in game face, he could find no disgust on Dawn's face, just innocent acceptance and love. "Your really something else, you know that nibblet," Spike said with a bewildered smile.

"Why?"

Sliding out of his game face Spike just shook his head, leaned back and brought Dawn up so that she was, once again, straddling his hips said, "I haven't met anyone who ever accepted the demon and the man in me before, ya daft bint" Spike finished with a smile.

"I said I loved you, as in all of you, not part of you, all of you," Dawn said exasperatedly, poking him in the chest with her finger to emphasize her point.

With a smile Spike leaned forward and pulled her into a searing kiss. Not expecting the kiss Dawn's mouth opened in a gasp, Spike instantly plunged his tongue into her mouth, exploring her, tasting her, barely able to get enough of her. As the kiss continued Dawn responded to him, heatedly clutching at his shoulders, her tongue battling his. Pulling back slowly he let her breath, an action he was no longer required to do and smiled smugly at the dazed look on her face.

"Liked that did you?" smirked Spike happily. "Uh huh" responded Dawn dazedly "and we get forever to practice".

"Well not forever pet, but as long as your alive and willing, yeah we do" smiled Spike at the beautiful woman in front of him. An embarrassed and guilty but happy look crossed Dawn's face "Well, umm when I reach eighteen I umm stop aging, cause of the Key thing," trailed off Dawn worriedly looking at Spike, searching his face for any sign of what he thought.

Spike grabbed Dawn in his arms, leapt off the couch and swung her around grinning like a madman. "I knew there was a reason I loved you so much Nibblet!" exclaimed Spike happily coming to a stop, Dawn's legs now gripping his hips in a effort to cling onto him.

"Knew there had to be something" said Dawn with a soft smile.

**Okie Dokie realize this sounds a bit rushed and as though I am covering way too much at once. As in I should have spread it out over different chapters and expanded more but hey I wanted to write an oneshot. Hopefully this wasn't too bad.**

**Please review, feedback is always appreciated **

**Many regards**

**namlessanomoly**


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